OC/DC: Budget, debt crisis debate center stage this week

Five months after President Barack Obama's 2014 budget proposal was distributed to the Senate Budget Committee, shown in this file photo, lawmakers this week are in the final stages of debating how to keep the government from shutting down. CHIP SOMODEVILLA, GETTY IMAGES

Benjamin Netanyahu to White House

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit President Barack Obama on Sept. 30 to discuss Iran's nuclear weapons, Syria unrest and peace negotiations with the Palestinians. "I intend to focus on the question of stopping Iran's nuclear program, an actual halt to the nuclear program," Netanyahu said, according to Reuters. "And until this is achieved, the pressure on Iran should be intensified and not eased."

WASHINGTON – The House canceled a recess scheduled for this week to stay and figure out a funding measure before the government’s fiscal year ends Sept. 30, when funding for federal agencies expires. The Senate is scheduled to be in all week.

The House passed its budget measure on Friday – agreeing to a stopgap funding measure on the condition that Obamacare is defunded – and the Senate will take up the legislation this week. Senate Democrats, with 54 votes, will need at least six Republicans to vote with them to vote to limit debate, a vote count they believe they have. “Once they limit debate, it would only take a simple majority to strike the defunding provision from the continuing resolution using Senate rules for germane amendments,” CQ Roll Call reports. “At least some Republicans would have an incentive to vote with Democrats because, if they do not, the GOP could be seen as filibustering the House continuing resolution and its attempt to block implementation of the health-care law.”

A vote on stripping defunding language from the House spending bill could come as late as Sept. 29, if Senate Democrats have to file motions to limit debate, called cloture, on the bill and Republicans insist on using all the debate time, CQ Roll Call notes.

The Republican in the Senate to watch is Ted Cruz of Texas, who said he is prepared to filibuster any government funding bill that does not defund Obamacare. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said “any bill that defunds Obamacare is dead. Dead.”

Monday

United Nations: President Barack Obama will be in New York through Tuesday to participate in the U.N. General Assembly.

EPA: Gina McCarthy, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, will speak to journalists at a breakfast in Washington.

Tuesday

Obamacare: Two health-care briefings are scheduled: The Kaiser Family Foundation will hold a public briefing in Washington on “Preparing for Outreach and Enrollment under the Affordable Care Act – Lessons from the States.” Panelists include officials from Oregon, Massachusetts, Maryland and Nevada. Separately, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is convening a briefing with exchange directors from Maryland, Rhode Island and California to discuss each state’s readiness and their goals for the exchange. Peter Lee, executive eirector of Covered California, is on the panel. Enrollment on the health exchanges begins Oct. 1.

Wednesday

Drug war: California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, will hold a hearing on dangerous synthetic drugs, such as Molly, K2, Spice and so-called “bath salts.” Feinstein recently introduced the “Protecting Our Youth from Dangerous Synthetic Drugs Act of 2013” to combat synthetic drugs designed to mimic the effects of controlled substances like ecstasy, PCP and LSD, as well as THC, the principal chemical in marijuana. Those testifying include Michael Botticelli, deputy director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Transportation: California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, will hold a hearing on surface transportation needs and funding.

Thursday

Illegal weapons: Rep. Ed Royce, R-Fullerton, will hold a subcommittee hearing on “A Closer Look at Cuba and its Recent History of Proliferation.” The hearing is in response to Cuban weapons seized in July on a ship bound for North Korea. Royce is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

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